The bedroom is a personal space in the home where you let your guard down and have a good night’s sleep. But if mice have started infesting the home and have infiltrated your personal space, it’s hard to relax knowing that they may climb in the bed.
So is there a chance that a mouse will crawl on you while sleeping? If mice have already taken refuge in the bedroom, there’s a chance that they will crawl on you in bed. They typically do this when the fastest way to get from one place to the other is across the bed.
Will Mice Bother You in Your Sleep?
In 2014, the National Pest Management found out that almost 29% of American households experience rodent problems in their home at least once. It was also revealed that almost half of these reported infestations happened during the fall and winter months.
The reason for this sudden spike in rodent activities during the cold months is that mice and other rodents are scrambling to get inside homes for food and warmth. When they enter the home, the bedroom is one of the coziest places where they might find both amenities. If they reach the bedroom, there’s a huge chance that these nocturnal pests will crawl on the bed while you are peacefully sleeping.
Why Are There Mice in Your Bedroom?
Knowing why mice have set up camp in the bedroom is the first step to getting rid of them. By removing all the things that attract them to the bedroom, mice will eventually move somewhere else. If there are scurrying noises at night, here are a few reasons why mice are in the bedroom:
- They are trying to get somewhere else and they happened to stop by the bedroom
- The room is a good source of food
- The mouse was cornered in the room and it’s scared to come out
Can Mice Climb on Beds?
Mice are excellent climbers that can crawl up just about any surface. They can also leap one foot into the air, which is why climbing or jumping into the bed is an easy task for them. The bed frame is likely made of wood that’s easy to climb. The sheets and blankets can also be draped on the floor, providing a ladder for mice to reach.
There are two reasons why mice will climb on the bed even if they are shy creatures who avoid humans: it’s the fastest route they can take or there is food on the bed. If you have a bad habit of eating snacks on the bed, these nocturnal creatures will wait until night to collect the crumbs left behind.
Should I Keep the Lights On?
Mice have biological clocks that are synchronized with light. It tells them when the best time is to sleep or look for food. The main reason why they are more active at night is that it’s the best time to avoid predators and larger animals. Since they are careful in avoiding danger, they can be scared off by flashing lights and loud noises.
However, mice are adaptable creatures so they will easily get used to the lights left on at night. When this happens, they will stop at nothing to gather the crumbs of food left on the bed when you were snacking.
3 Signs that Mice Are Present in The Bedroom
Mice are excellent when it comes to hiding, which is why it’s hard to spot them hanging around the bedroom immediately. If you suspect a mice infestation in the room, check for these three telltale signs of mice presence:
- Droppings – Droppings are a sure sign of mice activity in an area. They are around a quarter inch long. The color of the mice poop will depend on how long it has been there. Fresh droppings are typically dark and moist while older droppings are gray.
- Scratching Noises – Since they are mostly active at night, there’s a chance that squeaking and scratching noises can be heard at night. These sounds are audible near the walls when the rodents are communicating or running around in search of food.
- Foul Smell and Traces of Urine – These pests won’t pick a proper place to urinate – and they can even do it on the bed. If you notice a strong smell of ammonia around the bedroom, there’s a chance that mice have already invaded the home.
5 Diseases Caused by Contact with Mice
Just like other rodents, mice are also carriers of different disease-causing pathogens that can affect humans and pets. They can transmit these infections through exposure to mice’s urine or saliva, contamination of food and water, or direct contact like bites and scratches. Here are five dangerous diseases that are contracted through contact with these dirty rodents:
- Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome – This fatal respiratory disease causes muscle pains, headaches, dizziness, and chills. It is transmitted through rodent bites or consumption of food that’s contaminated by an infected rodent. If left untreated, this condition can lead to organ failure.
- Leptospirosis – This bacterial disease can be contracted when the bodily fluid of an infected animal enters the mucus membrane of the person. It causes high fever, headaches, chills, muscle ache, jaundice, red eyes, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, and abdominal pain. It will also lead to complications like kidney damage, respiratory distress, meningitis, and liver failure.
- Rat-Bite Fever – This disease can also be transmitted to humans when they are scratched or bitten by an infected house mouse. It can cause symptoms, such as fever, headache, vomiting, muscle pain, and rash. However, these signs may only show 3 weeks after contact with the mice, making diagnosis difficult.
- Salmonellosis – Salmonellosis is a food-borne disease that can be contracted through the consumption of water or food that’s been contaminated by mice droppings. Although it is rarely fatal, severe complications may develop in children and elderly people with weak immune systems.
- Plague – Plague can be contracted when the fleas from a mouse bite a person. The plague-causing pathogen can also be transmitted through eating uncooked meat and inhaling the droplets from the infected host. This disease can take different clinical forms: bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic.
How to Keep the Mice Away from the Bedroom
There are several ways to get rid of mice in the bedroom. It will depend on the tools available in the home and what kind of removal technique you are comfortable with. Whatever mice control method you follow, it’s crucial to get rid of these rodents before they start multiplying and causing more damage. Here are five ways to keep mice out of the bedroom:
1. Keep the Room Tidy
Mice are opportunistic feeders that are attracted to the small crumbs and leftovers dropped after snacking inside the bedroom. If possible, leave all food in the kitchen. Aside from food, they can also be attracted to the pile of dirty clothes in the corner of the room. This can provide them with a warm and comfortable nesting spot.
To keep them out of the room, it’s essential to keep the room tidy all the time. If there is a small garbage bin near the bed or somewhere in the room, ensure that it is emptied regularly. By eliminating their possible food source and nesting spot, mice will have fewer reasons to stay in the bedroom.
2. Block All Possible Access
Mice only need to find a hole that’s about a quarter inch wide to enter a room. When inspecting the area, look for small holes at the bottom of the walls. Even if it doesn’t lead to a mice nest, there’s a chance that the rodents utilize this hole to get inside the room. Once all the gaps have been found, seal them with materials like caulk and steel wool. These substances make it hard for the mice to gnaw their way through the hole.
The gap at the bottom of the bedroom door is also another entry point for mice. Since it can’t be sealed with caulk and steel wool, it’s better to buy a door sweeper that will keep the pests out. Door sweepers are typically available online or in any home improvement store.
3. Let Your Cat Sleep in the Room
Cats are natural rodent predators. They are excellent mice hunters, which is why keeping them by the bed when sleeping can provide a certain sense of security. Thanks to their superior sense of sight and smell, they can easily detect the presence of mice anywhere in the room.
However, it’s not enough to rely on cats to completely eliminate the mice infestation in the home. Most cats are too domesticated to chase mice for food. Even if they manage to catch one, these rodents are rapid breeders – a female rat can give birth to around 12 more young pups.
4. Use Different Repellents
Chemical rodenticides are effective when it comes to killing mice, but they contain substances that may also be harmful to humans and pets. This causes many homeowners to choose safer alternatives like natural repellents that can keep mice away from different areas of the home safely. Here are four home remedies to repel mice in the bedroom:
- Peppermint Oil – The pungent odor of peppermint oil irritates the nasal passage of mice. Since they won’t be able to stand the smell, these little rodents will retreat to their nests. Just put a few drops of peppermint oil on a cotton ball and leave it on the corner of the room. Place a few cotton balls near the bed to prevent the rodents from climbing.
- Camphor – Camphor repels mice the same way peppermint oil does. It’s also readily available online or in grocery stores. Camphor can be bought in oil form and used to repel mice by putting a few drops in a cotton ball and leaving it in places where mice may frequently pass through.
- Ammonia – Ammonia gives off a scent that’s similar to the smell emitted by predators. Drive mice away from the room by filling plastic bottle caps with ammonia and leaving them in areas where mice may pass through. Find these areas by keeping an eye out for different signs of mice activity, such as droppings, greasy tracks, and paw marks.
- Pepper – Pepper is typically used in adding flavor to different dishes, but this spice can also be utilized to get rid of mice. The strong smell of pepper is another odor that mice can’t stand. Just sprinkle a pinch of pepper in the corners of the room and near the bed to keep them from climbing.
While these home remedies might be effective for some time, it’s important to remember that they are only short-term solutions. Mice are adaptable creatures that can easily get used to the smell of peppermint oil, camphor, ammonia, and pepper. When the pungent odor of these home remedies doesn’t bother them anymore, mice will do anything they can to build a home in the bedroom.
5. Set Some Traps
Although they are an old-fashioned way of catching mice, traps and baits are still effective in reducing the mice population in the property. With many types of mouse traps available on the market, it’s important to choose the right kind of trap that can effectively catch mice without causing unnecessary injuries.
For example, using a snap trap is an effective yet low-cost method of trapping mice but it shouldn’t be used in areas where pets and children frequently play. The snapping force that drives the metal bar down is strong enough to kill a mouse, but it can also cause injuries to pets and children if an accident occurs.
Mice Squeaking in the Bedroom? Call Midway Pest Management Now
If you’re losing sleep over the amount of scratching noises made by mice at night, it’s time to call a professional exterminator like Midway Pest Management. We offer complete rodent control services to ensure that these tiny pests won’t come back to infest the home in the next two years.
Read more: Will Mice Stay Away If You Have Cats?